The Warped Tour is the largest travelling music festival in the United States. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are constructed prior to and for the duration of the event. The skateboard shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is often called the Vans Warped Tour. The tour began as a showcase for punk rock music, but its more recent lineups have featured diverse genres. It is the longest running tour in America.[1]

The performance schedule for the August 10, 2010 stop in Chula Vista, California, giving stages and set times for each act. Set times are determined on the day of the show and are posted for attendees on a large inflatable board.

As of the mid-2010s, the Warped Tour has featured as many as 100 bands per show. The bands play for up to 30 minutes over approximately 10 stages, with the biggest bands generally playing the two main stages. Bands typically start at 11:00 am and end around 9:00 pm, with several bands playing at once. The individual band times and stages where each band plays are marked on a large board usually centered in the venue. The stages are set up in various locations around the venue to ensure no band's music is disrupted by the others.

Every year there is a "BBQ Band," which, in exchange for the privilege of playing on the tour, must prepare the barbecue held for the bands and crew most evenings. Past BBQ Bands have included Dropkick Murphys and "The Fabulous Rudies".[2] Similarly, one band, Animo (formerly DORK), has been permitted for the past four years to play on the tour in exchange for working on the setup crew.

The tour does not have one way of being set up. Every show (every venue) has a different layout. It is set up early in the morning during the set up crews arrival and taken down usually during the last show of the day. When heading into Canada there is a bus that loads the supplies that heads into Canada and the other bus contains the equipment that stays in the US until the next show.[3]

In 2013 Kevin Lyman decided, because of transportation problems and audience members getting younger every year that their parents would be able to get into the tour for free. They have their own adult day care.[4]

The Alternative Press/Advent stage (left) and Glamour Kills stage (right) on the 2010 tour, an example of the tour's side-by-side stage setup. Acts play alternating 30-minute set times on the two stages.

The Warped Tour was created in 1994 by Kevin Lyman, in production with Vans and Creative Artists Industry. The tour began June 21 at the Idaho Center in Boise, Idaho, and ended August 18 at the Comerica Park parking lot in Detroit. [5]

The tour has always been held at outdoor venues though on a rare occasions that has not always been the case. In 1996 due to problems with the venue where the event was to be held, the show was forced to be moved indoors to the The Capitol Ballroom nightclub in Washington DC.[6]

In 1998, the tour went international, including venues in Australia, Japan, Europe, Canada, and the United States.

In 1999, the tour started off in New Zealand and Australia in the New Year. It then started up again in the United States for the northern hemisphere summer before ending up in Europe.

The Vans Warped tour has turned eco-friendly by using biodiesel for the production buses.[7]

Starting in 2009, the two main stages were condensed into one and bands were given 40-minute sets, as opposed to the traditional 30 minutes across the previous two stages. Despite this, the tour decided to bring back the two main stages concept with 35-minute sets instead for the 2012 tour and beyond.

In 2012, the Warped Tour travelled to London, the first time the tour has left North America since 1998.[8] In the UK and Europe, Warped Tour is operated by English promoter Kilimanjaro Live.[9]

The Warped Tour 2014 kick off party took place on April 1, 2014 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California featuring performances by Bad Rabbits, Issues, One Ok Rock, Secrets, This Wild Life, Watsky, and Wax.[16] The tour is set to return to Montreal for the first time in two years. On February 7, 2014, it was announced that the Warped Tour would visit Alaska for the first time for a pre-tour "The Road to Warped" show.[17] The entire first date (June 13 at Houston) was streamed live on the tour's website. In June 2014 Kevin Lyman announced on Twitter that the UK segment of the 2014 tour would not go ahead.[18] The San Diego stop was sponsored by Waveborn Sunglasses. As a part of celebrating the 20th anniversary of the tour, there have been surprise appearances from two bands, Linkin Park played at Ventura, California on June 22, 2014, and A Day to Remember played at Chicago, Illinois on July 19, 2014.

Warped Tour has become a launching pad for a lot of up and coming artists. One of these artists is Katy Perry. Kevin Lyman persuaded Katy Perry to play the Vans Warped tour 2008. Lyman states that since Perry was a "pop" artist that she should play at the festival.[20] The festival has been attributed to bringing unknown artists like Blink 182, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte to the spotlight.[21] Thrice has also benefited from the Vans Warped Tour. This festival has given them the opportunity to play in front of lots of people [22]

The Warped Tour has given artists like Will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas a chance to perform. According to Will.i.am, the Black Eyed Peas were the first group not categorized as "punk" to play at Warped Tour.[23]

Warped tour appeals to many audiences. Warped tour started as a tour that centered punk has evolved into a festival that includes ska, pop and hip-hop.[24] The skate scene has attracted many people to Warped Tour. The tour includes a half pipe for skaters to skate on.[25]

Musicians on the Vans Warped tour give lessons. Percussive Marketing Council has teamed up with the Vans Warped Tour and has given free drum lessons to the concert goers [26] The lessons were given at the Lesson Lab tent. These music lessons are for people who are learning to play drums for the first time.[27] The lessons utilize electronic drumsets and acoustic drumsets.[28] According to PMC Advisory Board Member Billy Cuthrell, having drum teachers from other percussion stores is the "key" to the free lessons program. [29]

In 2005, the Vans Warped tour incorporated a multiple level stage that consisted of two levels for the band Street Drum Corps [30]

Music education is a big part of the warped tour. Throughout the years, the Warped Tour has utilized the John Lennon Bus to achieve this.[31] The John Lennon bus began in 1968 by Ben Roschild and Yoko Ono.[32] The goal of the John Lennon Bus is to educate people about music who attend the warped tour. Brian Roschild is the executive director of the John Lennon Bus. [33] Essentially, the John Lennon Bus is a mobile studio [34] The demographic that the bus is trying to educate is the younger generation [35] Not only do people from the public participate but artists do as well. Artists like Eminem and Bowling For Soup have visited the tour bus.[36] Other celebrities to use the bus including Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, Natasha Bedingfield and John Legend.[37]

The battle of the bands takes place at Warped Tour every year. [38] Over 10,000 bands tried out for the battle of the bands in 2005. [39] The bands perform at their local warped tour date and are judged by professionals from the music industry. [40] If the bands do well in the competition, they get to perform as a side stage act on the Ernie Ball Stage of the Vans Warped Tour. [41]

Artist, record label, and sponsor tents occupy the central area of the tour stops, selling merchandise and holding autograph signings.

"Warped Tour is a place for teenage kids to go and hear all their favorite bands in one day," says Rob Pasalic, guitarist for the Saint Alvia Cartel. "It wouldn’t make sense for it to be the same tour in 2007 as it was in 1997. These are the bands that kids like, and the tour is smart enough to grow and adapt to that. You still get bands like Bad Religion playing, so it’s not like it’s lost all its roots."[42]

"You play music because there’s something inside of you that says you have to play music. Now you get bands like Fall Out Boy that are basically created in the studio. The Warped Tour changed it. Fuck it. I just don’t like that shit. All the guys in the bands remind me of the jocks I hated in high school. To me a punk gig is a small sweaty club with the audience right in your face knocking over the mic stand and boogying off the energy."[43]

Anberlin preparing for a meet-and-greet at the MySpace tent on the 2007 tour. Performers often meet with fans and sign autographs at the various artist and sponsor tents.

Keith Morris has stated "These kids that are on the Warped Tour, they should have no choice but to go into the military, and go off to some desert somewhere and spend some time in the desert, rather than having some big, ultra mega record company giving them lots of money and paying for their hotels and buses, making sure their hair is trendy, and that they are wearing the proper clothes that all the kids like and wear, and all that fun shit."[44] Morris' band the Circle Jerks would later appear on the 2007 edition of the tour.[45]

In 2013 Oliver Sykes from Bring Me the Horizon took to Twitter to pronounce that he was no longer allowed to start a "mosh pit" or "wall of death." Kevin Lyman took to Twitter as well to say that audience members can create mosh pits and wall of deaths but that someone in the audience has to be the initiator and not a band member because then they are taking responsibility for any injuries which can then lead to costly lawsuits.[46][47]

The Vans Warped Tour is sponsored by Vans. Kevin Lyman was offered sponsorship from Calvin Klein before eventually working with Vans.[50] The tour has also had the opportunity to be sponsored by Samsung. This allowed the bands and fans to interact with one another. The schedule for the day was sent out to the fans the day of their show. Samsung has also sponsored a reverse day care for the warped tour. This allows parents to cool off and their children to watch their favorite bands.[51] Warped Tour has also partnered with other technology companies like Cingular Wireless, Apple Computer and many others. [52] This allows these companies to reach to younger audiences. The communications manager from Memorex stated that warped tour allows them to reach a younger demographic due because of the music that these people are "passionate about." [53] Warped tour also provides the attendees internet service while at the festival. Chaos Mobile was formed by Kevin Lyman and John Reese of Freeze Artist Management.[54] This is an important part of warped tour because it increases fan interaction among alternative rock fans and keeps ticket prices down.[55]

Activism is a major component of Warped Tour. Warped Tour allows for non-profit organizations such as Invisible Children, To Write Love On Her Arms, Shirts for a Cure and Keep a Breast to advocate about their cause [56] Other causes that are represented at Warped tour are Music Saves Lives and Earth Echo. Earth Echo promotes recycling. They also provide a solar powered stage.[57] Keep a Breast is another organizations on the Warped Tour. Keep a breast educates women about Breast Cancer and preventative measures against the disease.[58] This organization worked in conjunction with the Girlz Garage on the Vans Warped Tour.[59] People who donate to the cause are given T-shirts signed by artists on the tour to spread awareness of Breast Cancer.[60]

The Vans Warped Tour contributes 25 cents from every ticket sold to an organization called Hollywood Heart [61] Warped Tour also gave money to the relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina. Warped Tour and the Taste of Chaos, (a festival) worked together to contribute $500,000 [62]

The bands on the warped tour bring their own musical equipment. However, Industrial Sound has been providing equipment for bands to use while on the Vans Warped Tour.[63] The lead sound engineer is named Daniel Bonneau. Bonneau states that Industrial Sound is a company that he "relies" on to provide equipment for the festival.[64] Bonneau also states that the bands are not able to do soundchecks and bands have to do line checks.[65]

An official Warped Tour compilation CD is released annually by SideOneDummy Records to coincide with the start of the tour. Prior to 1998 the official releases were handled by Vans via Uni Distribution in 1996 and Epitaph Records in 1997 respectively. The compilation includes songs by numerous artists performing on the tour that year. The first few compilations had varying titles, but since 2001 the series has used a standard title with the format "Warped Tour <year> Tour Compilation." In 2002 the compilation expanded onto 2 CDs totalling 50 artists, a format which the series has followed in all subsequent years. The Warped Tour compilation album in 2002 charted at number 55.[66]